The birthday bash of the summer is right around the corner.
On July 12 from 1 to 4 p.m., Helen Parke, who helped start Parkesdale Farms with her husband, Roy Parke Jr., will be having her 90th birthday party at the Milton E. Hull Historical Armory Building, at the Florida Strawberry Festival fairgrounds.
Parke, who will be turning 90 on July 7, is having a party thrown for her by her five children: Cheryl Meeks, Sandee Sytsma, Bobby Parke, Colleen Fulton and Gary Parke. The party is open to the public, and everyone is invited to attend.
The party will be a dessert drop-in, with a variety of sweet delicacies being served. A video of Parke and her family will also be shown. There is no set theme, gifts or program, and people are invited to stay and visit as long as they wish. Members of the Strawberry Court will also be there serving desserts and refreshments.
So far, the invitation has been sent out via Facebook and word of mouth.
“We decided not to send out invites for fear of leaving someone out,” Sytsma said. “Everyone is welcome.”
Parke is originally from Pennsylvania. She met Roy Parke Jr. in 1943, and they married six weeks later while he was on Army duty in St. Louis.
She worked alongside her husband on a dairy farm in Pennsylvania, where waking at 5 a.m. was the norm.
When the gas company found natural gas on three spots on the farm in 1951, they sold their property.
They moved to Dover in 1957 with their family to join her husband’s father, who had bought 10 acres of strawberry fields.
Parke was always there to support her family, Sytsma said.
“She was the backbone behind [my father],” Sytsma said. “She was very influential in her own arena.”
Now, many of her children are involved in the Plant City community. Sytsma, volunteers for the Florida Strawberry Festival.
Originally, Parke was not open to the idea of the party, especially since so many people would be out of town for the summer.
“I don’t like everybody making a fuss,” Parke said.
Eventually, her family was able to convince her to have a party.
“She loves people,” Sytsma said. “We’re real excited, it’s just a fun family party.”
“It just sounded like fun,” Parke said.
Although all are welcome to attend Parke’s birthday, she is requesting that people only bring cards, and no gifts.
“All she wanted for a birthday was a picture of all five kids,” Sytsma said.
“It’ll be so good to see people I don’t get to see,” Parke added.
IF YOU GO
What: Helen Parke’s 90th Birthday
Where: Milton E. Hull Historical Armory Building at the Florida Strawberry Festival Grounds
When: 1 to 4 p.m. July 12
Bring: Cards if desired, no presents
Contact Emily Topper at etopper@plantcityobserver.com.